1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for improving the opportunities for eating soybean by providing soybean, which is known as a health food, in a novel edible form, such as a jam, thereby enabling an increase in the consumption of soybean, even in a Western style diet, such as the United States, where current soybean intake is relatively low.
2. Description of the Related Art
Soybean has become known as a health food in recent years. While soybean is known as an excellent protein source abundant in edible fibers, oligosaccharides, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphor and iron, the opportunities for eating soybean have decreased with the change of lifestyle in Japan. Although processed soybean products such as fermented soybeans (natto), soybean curd (tofu) and soybean paste (miso) have been used as foodstuffs suitable for Japanese style diet and have become known abroad, especially in the United States, as health foods, they are generally not a familiar part of a Western style diet, and there are few opportunities to eat soybean. When soybean is supplied in a novel food form, it will be expected that more soybean is consumed in the Japanese style diet as well as in the Western style diet, in addition to consuming as the foodstuffs in traditional forms, such as fermented soybeans and soybean curd.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention is to increase the opportunities to eat soybean, and to provide soybean foods suitable for the Western style diet, such as the United States, where current soybean consumption is low.
The present invention for attaining the forgoing objects provides a soybean jam using a soybean paste prepared by grinding and kneading to a paste after boiling soybean grains, wherein this soybean paste is mixed with other ingredients of the jam including pectin, sugar and organic acids, followed by boiling down the mixture.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a soybean jam comprising the steps of manufacturing a soybean paste by grinding and kneading soybean grains after boiling, and forming a jam by mixing the soybean paste with other ingredients of the jam including pectin, sugar and organic acids, followed by boiling down the mixture.
Granular pieces of the soybean grains prepared by crushing the soybean grains may be added to the soybean paste.
Preferably, granular pieces of crushed grape or raisin are added to the soybean paste.
A flavoring material such as a liquor or lemon jounce may be added to the soybean paste.
It is desirable to remove the epidermis of boiled soybean in advance of crushing the soybean grains after boiling.
Raisin, grape, strawberry or orange may be used as an ingredient of the jam.
Preferably, sugar is supplemented with raw sugar, honey or syrup when a fruit deficient in sugar is used as the ingredient of the jam.
Preferably, organic acid components are supplemented with a sour fruit juice such as a lemon juice when a fruit deficient in organic acids is used as the ingredient of the jam.
Soybean as used in the present invention includes green soybean, namely immature soybean, in addition to mature soybean. Accordingly, the soybean jam and soybean paste may be manufactured using green soybean grains in place of the mature soybean grains.